845 quintals of paddy and 10 vehicles seized; cases registered against 10 accused under Essential Commodities Act
Published on: January 15, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
With the state government’s paddy procurement process nearing completion, the Rajnandgaon district administration has stepped up strict monitoring to prevent middlemen and agents from illegally supplying paddy from other states to local procurement centres.
District officials said that during the final days of procurement, the chances of illegal inflow of paddy from neighbouring states increase significantly. Keeping this in view, the administration has remained fully alert and has warned of stringent legal action against brokers and intermediaries attempting to exploit the system.
Acting on the instructions of Collector Jitendra Yadav, round-the-clock surveillance has been deployed at interstate border checkpoints and nakas to curb illegal transportation of paddy. As a result of this heightened vigilance, the administration has carried out a major enforcement operation over the past few days.
During checks at the Patekhora barrier and other checkpoints, officials seized a total of 10 vehicles involved in illegal paddy transport. These included six heavy trucks intercepted at the Patekhora border and four smaller pickup vehicles caught at other checkpoints. The trucks were intercepted on National Highway-53 between Ranitalab and Patekhora while entering the district from Maharashtra.
The seized vehicles bore registration numbers MH-14 HU 4811, MH-15 GV 4376, MH-35 AJ 3499, MH-35 AJ 4828, MH-40 CD 7246 and MH-40 CD 9204. During the operation, a total of 2,170 bags of paddy, weighing approximately 845 quintals, were confiscated. The estimated value of the seized paddy and the six trucks is around ₹1 crore 46 lakh 90 thousand 800.
In connection with the case, proceedings have been initiated against 10 accused under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act. The accused are alleged to be repeatedly and systematically involved in illegal paddy supply. Prominent names among them include Om Gupta, Nitin Agrawal and Pankaj Agrawal of Amgaon, Maharashtra, and Vishnu Agrawal of Dongargarh. One of the middlemen has been arrested so far.
Also read- https://www.btnewsindia.com/paddy-procurement-drive-brings-cheer-to-farmers-in-rajnandgaon-2/ https://www.btnewsindia.com/chhattisgarh-shines-at-69th-national-school-games-championship/
The district administration reiterated its resolve to ensure transparency in paddy procurement and warned that any attempt to manipulate the system would invite strict legal consequences.
